Variable automatic control mechanism



G. W. SWIFT, In.

VARfl'iBiLE AUTOMATIC CONTROL MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED occ. 6,1918.

1,343,487. Patented June 15, 1920.

WIT/VEJJEJ G. W. SWIFT, JR. VARIABLE AUTOMA'HC CONTROL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 6. 19m. 1,343,487. Patented J1m615, 1920.

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o I WIT/1156621) 6. W. SWIFT, Jn.

VARIABLE AUTOMATIC CONTROL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED use. s, 1918.

Patented June 15, 1920'.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I G. W. SWIFT, Jn. VARIABLE AUTOMATIC CONTROL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MC. 6, 19H].

1 43,487, Patented June 15, 1920.

4 MEETS-SHEET 4.

Automatic Control Mechanism,

- an enlarged sea UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

cams w. swim, at, or soanan'rown, new JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC CONTROL MECHANISM.

To'all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. SWIFT, J12, acitizen of the United States, residing at Bordentown, county of Burlington, and State ofr llew Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements of J which the following is a s ecification.

This invention re controlling the sequence of 0 machine; As exemplified in t rations in'a e present embodiment, the invention contemplates in.

proved means for selectively controlling the periodicity of the operations of a machine which may, be. gover ed automatically to vary in their periods of duration as well as in their sequence. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide improved means for automatically controllin the recurrence of operations by means 0 the actuating elements which operate the parts which control the machine and at the same time set other actuating elements which subsequently become operative. Another object is to provide improved means for varying the periods of time between the successive operations. 7

In the drawings, which show an application of the invention to a machine for cutting successive sheets from a roll or web Figure 1 is a side elevation of a web cutting machine provided with improvements according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33,Fig. 1' Fig. 4: is a fral gmentaryj side elevation 0 parts shown in 1; I Fig. 5 is atop p an view on an enlarged scale of the clutch mechanism shown in Fig. 3;

ig. 6 is a section on the lme 6-6,:F1g. 5; Fig. ,7 is a fragmentary section on an enlar d scale of the actuator wheel or disk, arts ein shown in plan; P g

Fig. 8 1s a section on the line 8--8, Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary front elevation on e, of the actuator elements returning means 5 v Fig. 10 is a section accord ng to line 10-40, Fi ."9 a fragmentary ortion of the actuator wieel or disk beings own in plan; Fig. 11 .is a fragmentary" top plan view and section of the actuator adjusting means $5 and Specification of Letterelatent. Application filed December 6, 1918. Serial R0. 265,613.

in Variable.

ates to mechanism for keyed thereto, which Patented June 15,1920.

operating connections, parts being shown in section.

Accordin to the drawings, the invention is applied to a web-cutting machine in which a web 1' is advanced upon a lower feed belt 2 and between it and an up er feed belt 3. Paired feed rolls 4 carrie by the transverse shafts 5, drive the web 1 forwardl to pass between rolls 6 which are operation. The present invention is shown on the drawings as applied to the control of these cutting riods'. Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, t e drive shaftlO is journa ed in brackets on the side frames 11 and is provided .with a driving pulley 12. Keyed to the drive shaft 10 is 9. ar 13 which meshes with a gear 14: kc e to the shaft 15. Said gear 14 also mes es with a gear 16 carried by a shaft 1?. Feed roll shafts 5, 5, are provided with inter-meshing gears 18 and the lower shaft of each air 1s provided with an additional gear w ich meshes with gear 16 which 1s thereby adapted to transmit power to the feed rolls 4:, 4. The shaft 17 has another gear 19 meshes with a large gear 20 for driving the roll shaft 21 which supports the lower feed belt roll 22. The upper. feed belt roll 23 is carried by the shaft 24 to which is keyed a gear 25 which meshes with gear 20. A small gear 26 which is keyed to the shaft 21, meshes with an idler 27 which in turn drivesa gear 28 keyed to a shaft 29 which carries an actuator wheel or disk-30. A fra entary radial section of this wheel or d" 30 is shown in Fig. 7 according to whic "an actuatorfelement 31 is reciprocahly mounted in a hole or socket 32 WhlCh extends from side to side of the actuator wheel or disk. The element 31 is provided with s aced annular recesses 33, 34 which are a apted to receive a ball pawl 35 which is yieldably held in engagement with either of said by means of a spring 36. Preferably and according to the present embodiment of my invention, there are 280 actuator elements arranged around the periphery of the actuator 30. Cotiperating with these elements 31 is a hammer 37 which is secured by a pin 38 to a spindle 39, said spindle being journaled in the outer end of a lever 40. spring 41 is secured at one end to the lever 40, by means of a screw 42. Said spring is wound about the spindle 39 and has its other end extend ing through a hole in the outer end of said spindle and thus serves to retain the hammer 37 in the position shown in Fig. 8. In order to permit a clockwise displacement of the hammer, should it happen. to come between two adjacent actuator elements, one corner is rounded at 43. As shown best in Fig. 2, the lever 40 is pivoted at 44 on an arm 45, said arm 45 being suitably mounted to swing on the shaft 29 into any desired position radially with respect to the shaft 29. For this purpose, it is rovided on its outer end with a handle 46. eciprocably mounted on the angularly adjustable arm 45 is a latch 47 (see Fig. 11) which is adapted to engage in the notches of setting disk or plate 41 which is supported by the shaft 29 but does not turn therewith. A connecting band or bracket 48 is secured at one end to the notched disk or plate 47' and at its outer end is secured to a portion rigid with the side frame 11. Mounted on the band or bracket 48 is a cam plate 85 against which the elements 31, in operative position, are moved by the rotation of the wheel 30 for returning the pins 31 to normal inoperative position. Journaled on the inner end of lever. 40 is a"rolier 49 which is arranged between the adjacent flanges of a spool or sleeve 50 which is reciprocably mounted on the shaft 29 and also accommodates a roller 51 which is journaled on one arm of a bell crank lever 52 which is pivoted at 53 on the band or bracket 48. The other arm of said bell crank is connected by a rod 54.- 170 an arm '55 which is secured to a rock shaft 56. It will be seen from this description that whenever the rock shaft 56 is caused to oscillate, sleeve 50 is reciprocated and "causes lever 40 to drive an actuator element into operative position, shown in Fig. 7. A spring 57 which extends between a fixed point on the frame and an arm 58, tends to hold the lever 40 in position in which hammer 37 is out of the path of the actuator elements in inoperative position. A lever arm 59 extends radially from the rock shaft 56 into the ath of such of the actuator elements that have been moved into operative position by a prior actuation of the rock shaft 56. Itwill be understood therefore that each actuation sets a new actuator element for another operation and the intervals tween such operations will depend upon the an ular disposition of the adjustable arm 45. urthermore, it will be understood that by previously setting a number of the actuator elements by hand, various sequences in the periodic operations ma be obtained;

In its application to the we -cutting machine hereinbefore referred to, it is preferable to provide a controller arm 60 which is keyed to the rock shaft 56. As shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, this controller arm carries a wedge 61 which is adapted to move into and out of a recess 62 in a slide 63. In the normal position of rest of the rock shaft 56, the wedge 61 is held in engagement with the slide 63 and hence revents a compression spring 64 from forcing slide 63 toward the right according to F ig. 6. The slide 63 reciprocates in a box or guide 65 which is .secured 'to the flanged wheel or disk 66.

Said wheel or disk is keyed to the shaft 8 and partakes of the movements of the cutter rolls 6 which are geared together by the gears 9. Freely journaled on the shaft 8 and arranged between the gear 9 and the flanged wheel or disk 66, is a sleeve 67 which is keyed to a gear 68 which meshes with the larger gear 69 of a compound gear. The smaller gear 70 of this compound gear meshes with the ar 14 which drives the feed rolls 5, 5. eferring now to Figs. 1 and 12, an oscillatory shaft 71 is provided with a lever arm 72 which is connected by a rod 73 with a lever arm 74 keyed to rock shaft 56, J ournaled in the frame above the upper cutter roll 6, is an oscillatory brake shaft 75 to which is keyed a brake lever 76 having arms extending substantially radially and tangentiall with respect to 'a brake drum 77 (see a so Fig. 3} which is keyed to the shaft 8. A brake hand 78 has opposite ends connected to the arms of said brake lever 76, the arrangement being such that when the brake shaft 75 is oscillated in one direction, the brake band is loosened, whereas if it is oscillated in the opposite direction the brake band is tightened around the drum 77. Keyed to the brake shaft 75 is a dog or lever arm 79. Secured to the roll shaft 8 is a radially disposed thrust arm 80. An arm 81 which is keyed to oscillatory shaft 71, has pivotally connected thereto a link 82 which reciprocates into and out of position to transmit a thrust from said thrust arm to the lever arm 79 in a direction which binds the brake band to the brake drum and locks the cutter rolls in a osition of rest I just as the slide 63 is move to the left in ig. 5. Said slide 63 is provided with clutch teeth 83 which ada ts it to codperate with a toothed clutch isk 84 which as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, is ri id with the gears 9 and 68 on the sleeve 6%.

The practical utility of the present invention will now be understood from a brief recital of its functions according to the present embodiment. Thus the actuator plinwheel 30 shown on the drawings, carries 280 pins. .With the gearin shown and described, the paper feed rol s 4 advance the paper web one-half inch durin the time that the wheel 30 moves over t e angular space between the axes of two adjacent pins 31. For each rotation of wheel 30, there are therefore 140 inches of travel im arted to the paper web 1. If then, it is out two sheets of inches in length each for every rotation of the wheel 30, the arm 45 is adyusted to such osition as will cause the hammer 37 to stri e a pin 31 diametrically opposite to a prior active pm which has been pushed into operative position.

Each successive operation will then set the,

followin actuator pin which is to become active. n this instance, the cam plate 85 maybe dispensed with, if desired, since each active element after it has been returned to normal inoperative position by the cam plate 85, is reset to operative position by the hammer 37. Furthermore, said cam plate may be dispensed with when any whole number of sheets of like or unlike lengths are severed from the web during each rotation of the wheel 30. On the other hand, when the wheel 30 completes a rotation out of' time with-theseverance of any sheet, it becomes necessary to reset the operating elements for each revolution of the wheel 30 and in consequence, the cam plate 85 must be provided for returning the pins 31 to normal position after each action. At each operation, rock shaft 56 is oscillated. As the lever arm 60 is withdrawn from the flanged pulley 66, the wedge 61 releases the slide 63 to be engaged b the continuously rotating clutch disk v84. esame movement serves to withdraw the link 82 which releases the brake band 78 and permits the cutter rollsfi to be rotated by the pulley 66 which is geared thereto, At the same time, the next actuator pin is set by the operation of lever arm 55, rod 54, lever 52, sleeve 50 and lever 40. It will be understood that by setting the arm 45 in any desired position and by manually setti one or more pins before the machine is set in operation, it is possible to produce various sizes and variations in sizes of sheets cut' from the web. The device therefore provides a variable automatic control of the function of the machine to which it is connected.

I claim i 1. In a variable automatic control mechanism, a continuously movable actuator, a

plurality of actuating elements movable into and out of actuating positions, periodic means for shifting said elements from one position to the other, and means for yieldably holding said elements in their different positions.

2; Variable automatic control mechanism esired to provided with a pluralit of actuating elements movable into an out of actuating positions, and means operated by the movement of said actuator for shiftin said elements from one position to the ot er.

3. Variable automatic control mechanism comprising a continuously movable actuator provided with a pluralit of actuating elements movable into an out of actuating positions, and means operated by the movement of said actuator for shifting said elements from one position to the other, said actuator bein provided with means for yieldably holding said elements in thei'rdifferent positions.

4. In a variable automatic control mechanism, a movable actuator, actuating elements movable on said actuator between operative and inoperative positions, an instrumentality suitably arranged to be operated by an actuating element In operative position, and means adapted to be operated by said instrumentallty for moving another actuating element trom inoperative into operative position.

5. In a variable automatic control mechanism, a movable actuator, actuating elements "axis of said actuator w eel, an instrumenta ity to be actuated for controllin the operation of another mechanism, sai instrumen- 110 tality bei adapted to be actuated by said actuator e ements at one extreme of their movement, and means driven by said instrumentality for moving said elements into operativeposition. v 7. In a variable automatic control mechanism, a'rotary wheel, actuator elements reci'procabl mounted on said wheel, a lever sultably isposed to, be operated byan actuator element in one of its positions, and 120 means operated by said lever for moving one of said elements into said position.

. 8, In a variable automatic control mechanism, a rotary wheel, actuator elements reciprocably mounted on said wheel, a lever suitably disposed to be operatedby an actuator element in one of its positions, and means operated by said lever for moving one of said elements into said position, said means including an oscillatory member adjustable into different relative positions with respect to said lever.

9. In a variable automatic control mechanism, a rotary wheel, actuator elements reciprocably mounted on said wheel on axes arallel to the rotary axis of said wheel, a ever suitably disposed to be operated by said actuator elements at one extreme of their movements, another lever for movin said elements into operative position, an means operated by the first-mentioned lever for actuating the second-mentioned lever.

10. In a variable automatic control mechanism, a rotary wheel, actuator elements reciprocably mounted on said wheel on axes parallel to the rotary axis of said wheel, a lever suitably disposed to be operated by said actuator elements at one extreme of their movements, another lever for movin said elements into operative position, an means operated by the first-mentioned lever for actuating the second-mentioned lever, said second-mentioned lever being a ularly adjustable about the axis of said whee while connected up with said actuating means.

11. In a variable automatic control mechanism, a rotary actuator provided with a plurality of actuator elements separately reciprocable parallel to the rotary axis'of said actuator, between operative and inoperative positions, a power transmitting trainadapted to be moved by each of said elements in operative positiop, and means 0 ratably connected to said power transmitting train for moving another actuator element from inoperative to operative position at each operation of said train by an actuator element.

12. In a variable automatic control mech-, anism, a rotary actuator provided with a plurality of actuator elements separately reciprocable parallel to the rotary ax'isof saidactuator, between operative and, moperatiye positions, a power transmitting train adapted to be moved by each of said elements in operative position, and means operatabl connectedto said power transmittm train for moving another actuator elemen from inoperative to operative position at each operation of said train by an actuator element,

said actuator element moving means being adjustable to operate upon actuator elements at various angular distances from the operative element.

13. In a variable automatic control mechanism, an actuator provided with a plurality of actuator elements movable between 0 erative and inoperative positions on said actuator, tripping mechanism for controlling the operation of a machine, said trippin mechanism including a lever between which and said actuator there is relative movement, said lever being normally in the path of any of said actuator elements in operative position, means adjustably mounted on said actuator for selectively moving.said actuator elements into operative position, and means operatively connectin said adi'ustably mounted means to sai tripping ever for moving said actuator elements into operative position.

14. In a variable automatic control mechanism, an actuator provided with a plurality of actuator elements movable between operative and inoperative positions on said actuator, tripping mechanism for controlling the operation of a machine, said tripping mechanism including a lever between which and said actuator thereis relative movement, said lever being normally in the path of any of said actuator elements in operative position, means adjustably mounted on said actuator for selectively moving said actuator elements into operative position, and means operatively connecting said adjustably mounted means to said tripping lever for moving said actuator elements into operative position, means being provided in t e path of said actuator elements for returning them to inoperative position.

15. In a variable automatic control mechanism, a rotar; actuator, actuator elements Jnovable on said actuator between operative and inoperative positions, a trip lever through which the operation of a machine is controlled, said lever'being normally disposed in the path of said actuator elements when in operative position, an, arm adjustable about the axis of said rotar actuator, a lever pivotally mounted on said arm for moving said actuator elements into operative positiomand means for o eratably connecting said trip lever to sai actuator elements moving lever.

16. In a variable automatic control meclr' anism, a rotar "actuator, actuator elements movable on said actuator between operative and inoperative positions, a trip lever through which the operation of a machine is controlled, said lever beingnormally disposed in thepath of said actuator elements when in operative position, an arm adjustable about the axis of said rotar actuator, a lever pivotally mounted on sald arm for moving said actuator elements into operative position, and means operatably connect ingsaid trip lever to said actuator elements moving lever, said connectingmeans include ing a reciprocable sleeve or spool movablyconnected to said actuator elements moving leverandanother lever moved by said trip lever and movably connected to-said sleeve or spool.

, GEORGE W. SWIFT, JR. 

